Four color pick selector mechanism

ABSTRACT

A WEAVING MACHINE OF THE JACQUARD TYPE IS DISCLOSED WHEREIN MULTIPLE WEFT SUPPLY CHOICES BY THE DOBBY HEAD ARE EXECUTED THROUGH A CAM ARRANGEMENT.

Sept. 20, 1971 ONEAL SMITH 3,605,819

FOUR COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Jan. 26, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR O'NEAL SMITH Sept. 20, 1971 ONEAL SMITH 3,605,819

FOUR COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Jan. 26, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet. 2

FIG. 3

P 20, 1971 ONEAL SMITH 3,605,819

FOUR COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed Jan. 26, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FROM MAINDRIVE Q O CONTINUALLY DRIVEN Sept. 20, 1971 ONEAL SMITH FOUR COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 26, 1970 FIG. 6

P 20, 1971 O'NEAL SMITH FOUR COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 26, 1970 FIG. 9

FIG. 8

SHED

FIG. IO

United States Patent 3,605,819 FOUR COLOR PICK SELECTOR MECHANISM ONeal Smith, 3469 Sylvan Lane, Ellicott City, Md. 21043 Filed Jan. 26, 1970, Ser. No. 5,627 Int. Cl. D03d 47/24 US. Cl. 139-126 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A weaving machine of the Jacquard type is disclosed wherein multiple weft supply choices by the dobby head are executed through a cam arrangement.

This invention relates generally to automatic high speed gripper shuttle looms, and more particularly it pertains to a new mechanism for selecting the weft from different supplies in accordance with a preselected program on a perforated tape.

Automatic weft selection by punched cards or tapes of the Jacquard type is not new, but the indexing and controls used in the past have been troublesome and inflexible in many cases.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide and improved feeder rack position selector for looms of this type which is more positive and accurate than any used in the past.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drag and brake mechanism for use in a loom to cooperate with the improved feeder rack positioning arrangement in more accurately controlling the supply package feeds.

To provide an arrangement for selectively engaging cam followers, is yet another object of this invention.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pick selector which can handle at least four weft supplies.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanyin g drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a loom incorporating features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1 showing two of the feeder rack position selectors;

FIG. 3 is a plan view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2';

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of a feeder rack and feeders as viewed in the direction of arrows 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an end view of a feeder rack taken on line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary detail of the shuttle end of the rack as viewed in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the selective brake and tension drive system;

FIG. 8 is a partial section view of a tension arm and cam shaft;

FIG. 9 is a cross section of a single revolution clutch; and

FIG. 10 is a schematic layout showing the general relationship of components of the invention.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, four feeder rack position selectors are shown mounted on a loom 10 of an automatic high speed gripper shuttle type. These rack position selectors 20 are controlled by a punched tape 12 of a dobby head 14 of a conventional type. The rack position selectors 20 are mounted on brackets 16 intermediate the ends of the loom frame 18 and are each selectively actuated by a rod 21, 23, 25, 27 extending from the dobby head 14. When a rod 21, 23, 25, 27 translates horizontally, it moves a lever 26, 28 extending from a ice shaft coupling 22, 24. As shown best in FIGS. 2 and 3, this oscillates a shaft 31, 30' journaled in the brackets 16.

A bell crank 29 is secured to each shaft 31, 30. Each bell crank 29 is pared with an idler bell crank 32, which is pivoted on short shafts 37 in the brackets 16. Each bell crank 32 is coupled to its associated bell crank 29 with a pair of links 34 and 35. The lowermost links 35 each have a linear groove 36, as shown best in FIG. 2.

A single translating bar 38 is provided adjacent the lowermost links 35 and it has four pivots 42 extending from its face at spaced points corresponding to the spacings between the feeder position selectors 20.

A cam follower arm 44 is mounted on each pivot 42 and it has a translating stud 40 working in an arcuate clearance slot 36 in the bar 38'. This stud 40 extends into the previously mentioned linear groove 36 of the lower bell crank link 35. The free end of each cam follower arm 44 is provided with a follower 45.

A continuously rotating shaft 49A from the main drive has four cylindrical or barrel cams 48, 49, 50 and 51. These cams 48, 49, 50, and 51 differ from one another in having differing throws. Thus, when a lever, for example, 26 moves under control of a rod 21 as shown in FIG. 2, the associated bell crank link 35 moves downwardly and by means of stud 40, swings its cam follower arm 44 downwardly as shown in FIG. 2. This action causes the follower 45 to engage with cam 50, as shown in FIG. 3. Cam 50 then translates bar 38 forcefully and precisely according to its individual throw.

The bar 38 is coupled to an arm 54 through a coupling pin 52, as shown in FIG. 3. The arm 54 oscillates a shaft 56, supported on the loom frame 18 by journals 58 as shown best in FIG. 1. An adjustable rod 62 depends from the end of an arm 60 mounted on the end of the shaft 56 and the resulting movement vertically positions a rack 90.

This rack is associated with a picking box 104, well known in the art. The rack 90 consists of a housing 92, as shown in FIG. 4, which has four feeders 94, 96, 98, and 100. FIG. 10 shows how the weft 108 from each of four supply spools 200 is channeled into this rack 90, the separate strands being brought individually to the feeders 94, 96, 98 and 100 previously mentioned and shown in FIG. 4.

Assuming the topmost feeder 94 of rack 90 as shown in FIG. 4 has been positioned for actuation, a feeder movement arm 102 extends from the picking box 104 into a receiving position with the shuttle 108 whereupon a shuttle opener release member releases two spring biased members to grip the weft 108 presently held by feeder spring 110 of the feeder 94. Now release member 112 is inserted between the two spring tempered arms and through the aperture 114 of rack housing 92 of feeder spring 110 to urge them apart, releasing the grip on weft 108.

As shown in FIG. 6, the weft 108 is now gripped only by the shuttle 106 which is subsequently fired through the shed and upon reaching the opposite side is returned in a conventional manner.

Immediately after the shuttle and release member 112 has been released, the feeder 94 moves to a position shown in phantom in FIG. 4 where a conventional set of centering fingers 116 align the weft 108 in the again-opened arms of feeder spring 110. Again, the feeder springs 110 are closed in a like manner whereupon cut-off blades 118 out the Weft 108 and finally the feeder 94 returns to the start position.

Once a color selection (choice of weft 108) has been made, the rack housing 92 is held in precise vertical alignment by a cam actuated pivot arm 120, as shown in FIG. 5, which has a cylindrical bar end 122 which comes to rest in a matingly configured block 124-124, etc., located on the rear face of the rack housing 92.

Slack developing in the weft 108 between the feeder spring 110 and the supply spool 200, as shown in FIG. 10, is held in tension by a conventional tension arm 152, shown in FIG. 8 and a set of brake arms 154.

These components 190 are selectively actuated by the drive system shown generally by reference numeral 140 in FIG. 7. Separate cam shafts, one of which is indicated by reference numeral 142, are selectively driven by actuation through a single revolution clutch 144 which transmits intermittent rotation from a continuously rotating shaft 146 to a sprocket 1 48 through a chain 150 and to the cam shaft 142 for preplanned movement of the tension arm 152 and brake arms 154 relative to the strand of weft 108 in use at the time.

The shafts 146 are mounted in pairs, one pair opposite the other on hearing plates 160 (shown at the lower left in FIG. 1) and the shafts 146 of one pair are rotated in opposite directions by the under and overlapping of the chain 156 which is driven by a branch shaft 158 of the main drive.

In FIG. 9, there is a detailed section view of one of the single revolution clutches 144. The shaft 146, continuously driven, is fitted with a cylindrical member 162 having an annular groove 164 for the intermittent reception of a catch am 166. The catch arm 166 is pivotally mounted to the face of a sprocket 168 by means of a pin 170. The catch arm 166 is normally biased by a torsion spring 171 inwardly, but for the most part, is held outwardly by a cam follower 172 as shown by the phantom release position 174.

The cam follower 172 is controlled by cables 80 (82, 84, 8'6) and a pull on one of these cables 80, 82, 84, or 86, moves the cam follower 172 to a position 173 shown in phantom. The catch arm 166 then moves into the annular groove 164 as shown and engages a projection 176 therein, thus coupling the shaft 146 to the sprocket 168.

The cables 80, 82, 84, and 86 are selectively operated by bell crank levers 64, 66, 68, 70 and 72, 74, 76, 78 which transmit motion from the associated rods 21, 23, 25, and 27 controlled by the dobby head 14.

With the spools 200 of different colors, as many consecutive picks of one color weft can be made as desired under command of the tape 12, thus adding greatly to the versatility of the gripper shuttle Jacquard type loom.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for individually selecting and positioning weft threads to inserting elements for inserting the weft threads into a shed formed by warp threads in a loom having a dobby, comprising, means including a thread changing element having a housing rack, means including a plurality of weft thread feeding members carried by and longitudinally slidably guided in said housing rack of said thread changing element, means including a translating member for positioning said thread changing element into a selected weft thread inserting position, plural drive means for moving said translating member, and dobby controlled means on said translating member for engaging selectively a one of said plural drive means in accordance with the commands of said dobby, said means including said translating member consisting of a slidable bar having a plurality of pivots to support said dobby controlled means for arcuate movement, whereby said thread changing element is forcefully and positively positioned to feed a selected weft thread for insertion into said shed of warp threads in said loom having said dobby.

2. A mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein said dobby controlled means includes a plurality of cam follower arms each having a cam follower thereon, with each cam follower arm being pivoted on its respective pivot of said slidable bar, each said cam follower arm having an engaging element for raising as well as lowering its respective cam follower into engagement with its respective drive means for translating said slidable bar for positioning said thread changing element into a selected weft thread inserting position.

3. A mechanism as recited in claim 2, and means engageable by said engaging elements and controlled by said dobby for selecting one of said plurality of weft threads.

4. A mechanism as recited in claim 3, wherein said engageable means includes a pair of bell cranks having at least one coupling link therebetween, one hell crank of said pair of bell cranks being rotatable by said dobby, with said link of said pair of bell cranks having a linear engaging member for engaging its respective engaging element.

5. A mechanism as recited in claim 1, wherein said plural drive means include power driven barrel cams.

6. A mechanism as recited in claim 1, and means for detenting said thread changing element in the selected weft thread inserting position.

7. In a weaving machine, an apparatus for amplifying the control rod motion of a dobby head to move a loom member, comprising, means including a pair of bell cranks oscillatable by a control rod of said dobby head, at least one link means coupling said pair of bell cranks together and having a linear engaging element, means including a translating bar coupled to said loom member, said translating bar having at least one cam follower arm pivoted thereon for arcuate movement, means including a power driven rotating cam in the arcnate path of said cam follower arm, and engaging means engageable with said linear engaging element in said link and extending from said cam follower arm to move said cam follower arm in an arcuate path into engagement with said power driven rotating cam, whereby said translating bar is translated to move said loom member under command of said dobby head.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,040,782 6/1962 Ptarrwaller 139126 3,159,185 12/1964 Smith 139126 3,403,707 10/1968 Schedin 139171 HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 139-171 

